PM/Holness Slowly Grasping The Nexus Between Security And Prosperity

Andrew Holness Gleaner (PM)

Over the last 30-years, in particular, Jamaica has lost countless amounts of money to corrupt officials in both political parties.The Peoples National Party (PNP) has been in power for longer periods at a time including a 141/2 year unbroken tenure leaving the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) literally in political oblivion.

The list of theft under this party is by far too much to mention. This list only scratches the surface of the scandals in which the PNP has been involved costing the poor Jamaican taxpayers untold billions if not trillions of dollars.The list of scandals under the PNP in my estimation ought to disqualify the party from contesting elections, if not from a dissolution of the party, then a total voter blackout.Notwithstanding, we all know that uninformed loyalist voters literally makes that impossible.>The JLP for its part has certainly had its own [sticky fingers] problem.(1) The Coke extradition/Manatt. (2) The infamous Mabey and Johnson bridge-building bribery case.(3) In August 2009, 50-million spent to upgrade the minister of transport and works home.(4) Ministry of Tourism spent $8.4 million to retrofit the minister’s offices between May 2008.(5)Petrojam.

The point of all this is to highlight the tremendous amounts of resources which has been pilfered, squandered, and misappropriated by the very people the Jamaican people entrusted to be stewards of those resources.It is against that backdrop that I wish to speak briefly on news reports that Jamaica acquired a long-range surveillance aircraft, and two helicopters to patrol the Islands territorial waters.Prime Minister, Andrew Holness told a gathering of dignitaries and officials involved with the developments that, “Jamaica has made an investment in both security and our economy. Greater security means a stronger economy”, Holness said. Imagine if all of the pilfered billions were invested in Education. Healthcare. Security. Infrastructure. Where would the Island be today in it’s slow plod to first world status?

The Prime Minister, however, has finally had a come to Jesus moment when he argued: “Greater security means a stronger economy”.This writer has gone to great lengths to point out the fact that this Prime Minister seemingly has a particular disdain for police officers and a wider lack of understanding that the prosperity he has been promising the Jamaican people is a Unicorn, given the country’s unchecked lawlessness. Most importantly, however, Holness went on to say quote; “The government is committed to ensuring that criminals don’t take over Jamaica”.My great Aunt always advised me to let people talk, soon enough she opined, they will reveal the truth about what’s going on in their heads. [tek time search yu wi find ants gut].As a young investigator that concept served me well in my interactions with both criminal defendants and witnesses giving affidavits.I have consistently warned of the impending danger

Jamaica faces from a burgeoning confluences of militia groups which are becoming more and more emboldened because of Government’s inaction.In the numerous articles I have written, I have sought to lay out the imminent creeping danger this inaction poses to the country’s solvency and security.The link provided above is the latest article I wrote on this imminent danger.

[Warning/address These Militias Now Or Face The Consequences Tomorrow].

The path to ensuring that criminals do not take over the country requires much, much more than the purchase of an airplane and a couple of helicopters. Nevertheless, it does go some distance toward interdicting some of the illegal guns and ammunition entering the country, if applied correctly.Unfortunately, despite the Prime Minister’s seeming new awareness, that criminals do have the intent if not the resources yet, to take over the country, he still hasn’t fully grasped the need for structural changes to how our nation is policed.Those changes will have to be legislative. They must include a sea change in the way those in power understand the importance of the rule of law and how that understanding is communicated to the people.